Business West – the group behind Bristol Chamber of Commerce – city-based R&D tax credit consultancy ForrestBrown and The Soil Association have been named among the UK’s 100 best organisations to work for.
The Soil Association appears in 24th place in the prestigious table of the 100 best not-for-profit organisations to work for – which was published last weekend by the Sunday Times. While Business West, the region’s largest business organisation is at 85. It is the fourth year running Business West has appeared in the report. ForrestBrown is ranked 47th in the 100 Best Small Companies table. 
The Soil Association campaigns for healthy, humane and sustainable food, farming and land use and is an environmental membership charity and organic certification body.
It said employees embody these core values and ambition and are encouraged to undertake regular volunteering projects. Staff rewards include an opportunity to have tickets to attend the Valley Fest festival, which is close to the organisation’s headquarters, where they can get together with their colleagues and also help to spread the word about the association to other attendees.
Business West can trace its roots back nearly 200 years to its formation as the Bristol Chamber of Commerce Industry and Shipping. Today it is a powerful lobbying and business support group, running chambers of commerce across the region as well as the Initiatives in Bristol, Bath and Wiltshire.
Managing director Phil Smith said: “People are everything at Business West, and to be recognised by the Sunday Times 100 Best Not-for-Profit organisations to work for four years in a row is fantastic.
“As a not-for-profit company with 200 staff, we aim to make this area the best place to live, learn and work.
“Some 21,000 businesses trust us to help them start, grow, innovate and trade internationally - as well as lobby government on their behalf, so it is vital that our people feel valued and that they do the right thing.
“The dedication and commitment shown by Business West staff to ensuring the prosperity and success of the region is an endless source of inspiration, and I am immensely proud of the civically minded culture that we have here, which is infectious.
“I joined the forebear to Business West in 1991, became managing director in 2005, and I’ve been here ever since.
“Had I not been lucky enough to work with such an inspirational group of people over the years, I cannot say for certain that I would still be here and there are many others like me.
“It’s a cliché I know, but people really are an organisation’s most valuable asset. If you treat people well and help them to fulfil their true potential, as a leader or manager you will achieve just rewards.”
Organisations in the not-for-profit list must employ at least 50 employees, achieve one of the highest 100 highest BCI scores in the category and be either a charity, an organisation set up for community benefit, a public sector organisation or a Community Interest Company (CIC). 
ForrestBrown applied to enter the list for the first time this year. It is the highest-ranked small firm in Bristol or the South West and the only one in the taxation and accountancy industry.
Pictured: Business West staff celebrate their inclusion in the 100 best not-for-profit organisations to work for
It scored a three-star accreditation which is awarded for ‘extraordinary levels’ of employee engagement.
ForrestBrown, which employs 63 staff, scored highly due to its employees feeling they are making a difference. They also rated the company’s strong leadership and team-spirit.
ForrestBrown founder and managing director Simon Brown said: “To date we have achieved phenomenal growth by doubling in size each year. Our continued success will be dependent on our ability to attract and retain talented people.
“We’ve already invested in making ForrestBrown a place people want to be – in terms of our professional development opportunities and the benefits we offer – and will continue to do so. I’m thrilled the team has recognised our efforts; it shows they are proud to be making a difference to our clients’ businesses.”
Pictured: ForrestBrown managing director Simon Brown, right, and director Lisa-Marie Smith, centre, collect their award from Karen Robinson of the Sunday Times
ForrestBrown recently announced plans to create up to 25 new roles across its tax, technical and operations teams. This will include a cohort of tax associates that it will support through their professional tax qualifications.
Simon Brown added: “Our success in 2017 put us in a strong position to invest in further growth by creating many new jobs. We can’t wait to welcome more talented trainees and experienced professionals to the team, and to join us on this exciting journey.”
Open to organisations employing between 50 and 250 staff, small companies were ranked based on eight engagement measures, with data collected from in-depth staff questionnaires.
Last week Bristol Business News revealed that regional accountancy group Bishop Fleming and Bristol-based engineering consultancy Hydrock had been included in the accompanying Top 100 Best Companies to Work For list.
Bishop Fleming, which has its largest office in Bristol, appears at number 26 in the prestigious Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For list – making it the highest-placed professional services firm in the South West.
Hydrock, which has its head office at Almondsbury and employs more than 400 people across its 17 UK offices, appears in 40th place in the table.
